Kershaw Among Five Dodgers Voted To ESPN’s Top-100 Players Poll

For a team that’s expected to win a third-consecutive National League West division title and compete for a World Series, it’s safe to assume the roster of said team is certainly littered with plenty of talent.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers underwent an offseason makeover, the likes of Adrian Gonzalez, Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig return in 2015. New additions included All-Stars Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins.

In a recent poll ranking the top 100 MLB players, more than a few Dodgers were selected. Two of the five Dodgers players were ranked in the top-25, further demonstrating the star power and abilities of the new team.

According to ESPN.com, all people polled were given specific guidelines:

To compile the top 100, we polled more than 60 ESPN experts in February and March, starting with a list of more than 300 players. Using a 0-to-10 scale, they evaluated the players based only on how well they are projected to perform in 2015.”

Three of the top four rated players from the same poll conducted in 2014 returned to the top four this year. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was ranked No. 1 and he was followed by Kershaw.

There’s been plenty of discussion linking both players, who each won an MVP Award in 2014 and they seem to be ranked at the top in nearly every poll they are included in.

Kershaw replaced Miguel Cabrera in the top five, who was ranked second last year. After the Cy Young season that the left-handed pitcher had in 2014, Kershaw improved on his No. 3 ranking last year.

Kershaw finished the 2014 season with a 21-3 record and 1.77 ERA. Not only was he ranked the second-best player in MLB, he was also ranked the best pitcher. The Dodgers’ ace was accompanied by Yasiel Puig in the top 25, who came in at No. 19. Puig moved up 12 spots from his 2014 ranking; Puig was also ranked as the third best outfielder in baseball.

Other Dodgers to make the poll are Zack Greinke at No. 29, Adrian Gonzalez at No. 49, and Kenley Jansen at No. 62. While Kendrick didn’t crack the top-100, he was ranked the No. 10 second baseman. Hyun-Jin Ryu was ranked the seventh-best left-hander, and Rollins tied for 10th-best shortstop.

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